Settling the New World

The first citizens of the Kingdom of Great Britain ever to arrive and settle in the New World came, aboard a ship named the Mayflower, in an effort to escape the religious persecution they faced in their homeland. These first settlers were known as the Pilgrims, who settled in Cape Cod around the year 1620. After the arrival of these early settlers followed a massive wave of British men and women who migrated to the American continent with hopes to find a new, more prosperous way of life than that which they had in England. With these new settlements, came a series of difficulties to be faced while developing a new way of life in an unknown part of the world. However, after some years of trial and error, the British were able to develop some key features among their colonies that assured success and prosperity for them all throughout the years. Among these key features were their religious beliefs, which guided the actions of many colonists throughout their daily lives, the ethnic diversity that was found in the most part of these colonies, and the great interest in trade that was developed by the settlers.

            The first British settlements of the 17^th century faced many difficulties in establishing a prosperous community that would be self-sufficient. This happened for many reasons among them the lack of skills and craft from part of the new settlers and their unrealistic expectations of finding great riches in the Americas. Their lust to find objects such as gold and silver or the coveted Fountain of Youth blinded them from the fact that they had a need to plant crops if they were to feed their own and successfully become a self-sufficient society. Other than this, they were unaware of the fact that native inhabitants had already encountered Europeans since 1492 and had developed a rather hostile attitude against them and their settlements. This caused the new British settlements to be severely attacked by the violent Native Americans, such as the one related by Mary Rowlandson: “Their first coming was about sunrising; hearing the noise of some guns, we looked out; several houses were burning, and the smoke ascending to heaven…” (Rowlandson 73)

                  The English colonies, however, were able to develop some prominent features that worked to their utter advantage in the establishment of successful and prosperous colonial settlements. One of these features was their religious belief, which guided the actions of many colonists throughout their daily lives. This religious way of living established guidelines for the government that ensured the well being of the people as a whole as is exemplified through the words of Puritan leader John Winthrop who expressed his desires “to seek out a place of cohabitation and consortship under a due form of government both civil and ecclesiastical” (Winthrop 71).  Later on he mentioned that “we must love brotherly without dissimulation, we must love one another with a pure heart fervently, we must bear one another’s burdens.” (Winthrop 71). Other than this, a second feature that proved beneficial for the prosperity of the English colonies was the ethnic diversity shared and promoted among the colonies. For example, William Penn made an invitation to “those of our own or other nations, that are inclined to transport themselves or families beyond the seas, may find another country (English colonies) added to their choice…” (Penn 74). Finally, the last feature that undoubtedly benefitted the development of the British establishments was the great interest in trade shared among colonists. This mentality was no better exemplified than by the words of John Appleby in saying that “evidence mounts that prerevolutionary America witnessed a steady commercialization of economic life: trades of all kinds increased; frontier communities quickly integrated themselves into market networkd; large and small farmers changed crops in response to commercial incentives.” (Appleby 94)

            Like all New World colonies, the British settlements faced a broad spectrum of difficulties during their early years of establishment. Fortunately, as history evidences, these ingenious settlers found a way to develop key characteristics in their villages that helped overcome these initial barriers and assure the prosperity of their towns for centuries to come. Had it not been for these early efforts and aspirations towards greatness, the world we live in might just not be the same. 

           

           

           

Works Cited

Rowlandson, Mary. “Mary Rowlandson, a New England Woman, Recounts Her Experience of Captivity and Escape from the Wampanoag during King Philip’s war, 1675.” Major Problems in American History, Volume I: To 1877, document and essays, third edition. Hoffman, Elizabeth Cobbs; Blum, Edward J; Gjerde, Jon. Boston: Wadsworth Cengage Learning. 73. Electronic copy.

Winthrop, John. “Puritan Leader John Winthrop Provides a Model of Christian Charity, 1630.” Major Problems in American History, Volume I: To 1877, document and essays, third edition. Hoffman, Elizabeth Cobbs; Blum, Edward J; Gjerde, Jon. Boston: Wadsworth Cengage Learning. 71. Electronic copy.

Penn, William. “Proprietor William Penn Promotes His Colony, 1681.” Major Problems in American History, Volume I: To 1877, document and essays, third edition. Hoffman, Elizabeth Cobbs; Blum, Edward J; Gjerde, Jon. Boston: Wadsworth Cengage Learning. 74. Electronic copy.

Appleby, Joyce. “Worlds of Goods in the Northern Colonies.” Breen, T. H. Major Problems in American History, Volume I: To 1877, document and essays, third edition. Hoffman, Elizabeth Cobbs; Blum, Edward J; Gjerde, Jon. Boston: Wadsworth Cengage Learning. 74. Electronic copy.